


Clockwork's Apprentice X

by SilverMorning



Series: Everyone knows Danielle... [2]
Category: DCU, Danny Phantom, Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Danielle "Dani" Phantom is Red X, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Theft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:42:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27197332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMorning/pseuds/SilverMorning
Summary: Dani likes Clockwork. She really does. Anyway, a little warning that apprenticeship with him could also mean moonlighting as a thief would be nice.
Relationships: Danielle "Dani" Phantom & Clockwork, Danielle "Dani" Phantom & Robin, Danielle "Dani" Phantom & Technus, Danielle "Dani" Phantom & Teen Titans, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Series: Everyone knows Danielle... [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1822828
Comments: 5
Kudos: 57





	1. First Heist

_"Think again."_

So... This was now her life, wasn't it? Sure, Dani already knew her life was never going to be normal, per se, with her being homeless, a clone, a half-ghost, princess of the Ghost Zone... Well, you get the point, right? And when taking on the position of Clockwork's apprentice (out of boredom), she didn't know _this_ was in her job description! She didn't know Clockwork would send her out as _a thief_! For _a few months_!

Okay, she did get his reasoning. Still didn't like it, though.

She was supposed to collect a few items to stop the end of the world or whatever that was to come and do some ritual. For which she needed help of Teen Titans. Which was _obviously_ a problem.

They wouldn't believe her if she came out of nowhere on the day of apocalypse and told them to do some weird ritual, much less if she got there months before it even came. That meant they needed to know her before it would happen to trust her but she couldn't tell them why she was even there.

She knew, however, that they were paranoid (mostly Robin), especialy after Terra, and if they knew she was keeping secrets... She just couldn't meet them as a hero.

Civilian was also out of the question, because even if they were reckless enough to be friends with civilians, the second she would start talking about some magical threat would be the one when she found herself in an interogation room.

That of course left a villain. But if she marched into the Tower as a villain only to demand from them to participate in some ritual... Besides, harming people went against her core, she couldn't harm someone who couldn't fight back and even then it gave her a sour taste in her mouth. _Especially_ if they were protecting something. 

That meant she would have to go along the lines of anti-hero. On the wrong side of the law but not above saving lives. And when she was already breaking the law, why not make it productive? She had to collect the items, right?

So, when Clockwork returned from wherever he was to let her think about the request, it wasn't that much of a surprise as it should have been when he told her that for the sake of all timelines she had to use Robin's uniform. Not the "Robin-uniform" but the "Red X-uniform".

There was no problem at all to steal the uniform - intangibility and invisibility are a blessing. Then it took a little bit of hacking (having a lair right next to Technus was also a blessing, even if it probably left her a little less mentally stable than she would like) to find out how it worked.

After that, all she had to do was get used to being a theif/anti-hero without using her own powers and plan her first heist.

Which was in the process right now.

_"Red X? I thought Robin was Red X!"_

_"Think again."_

God, she really hoped all the training with Dora, Pandora and Frostbite would pay off. Then again, Clockwork wouldn't have sent her if he knew she would lose. _Right?_ She sure hoped so.

Even then, she didn't dare to hesitate so she fired explosive X's from her palms.

 _"Titans! Go!"_ she heard and leapt into the fight.

She moved on instinct, trying not to think about it too much, because she knew if she did, she would freeze. So, instead, she focused on their powers. Raven had some sort of magic, Starfire used some green blasts that reminded Dani of ectoblasts, Beast Boy was a shapeshifter, Cyborg had some super cool electronics she would love to get her hands on (again, Technus' fault) and while Robin didn't have powers, she was most scared of him, because she was trying to win against him in something he was master of and she started learning not that long ago.

Then she starts taunting them. That's Danny's fault for a change.

_"Come on, kids. X marks the spot."_

When Robin pins her, she can feel the panic rising in her but she manages to respond to his slightly ilogical question with something she hopes sounds cryptic. Clockwork is her mentor, she should learn. And when is a better time than on a job?

_"Who are you?"_

_"If I wanted you to know that, would I be wearing a mask?"_

After rearranging a few wires in Cyborg (his electronics were still cool, though), awful attempt at flirting with Starfire (Dani wasn't interested, being just a few years old, but that didn't mean she couldn't have fun), sending Beast Boy through the floor and an almoust failed escape attempt, she was back at her lair in the Ghost Zone, letting her slightly aching core rest.

These were going to be long few months.


	2. ...And the First Help

So, objectively, Dani _knew_ she had to save someone before the big reveal or they wouldn't believe she wanted to help. Also because she inherited a hero complex from Danny and if she saw she was needed, she would help no matter what.

That didn't mean she meant to help them this early. It wasn't even _twenty-four hours_ since she last met them! She was supposed to build up a reputation, keep it cool for at least a month, then show up in some big bad battle and save them. Because _cofusion_ and _chaos_. Maybe even a little bit of dramatic spirit from her stay with Vlad, even though Dani would deny that.

If questioned later, she would deflect with something along the lines of: "Well, you protect the city and I like living here", "What would I do without a city to steal in?" or "Who would I annoy if you were gone?"

Then she would be back to stealing but with occasional fighting criminals for the Teen Titans.

That was the plan. It was a good plan. It would work...

That is, if the only thing she inherited from Danny was the hero complex. Unfortunately, it was not. Along with that, she also got his _unbelievable_ amount of luck. Literally. There was so little of it you wouldn't believe it. Even _she_ didn't at first.

But right now, the Titans needed her. Or... at least for her own sake, she needed to know they didn't... Whatever. At the end of the day, it wasn't like she had a _choice_ or anything.

_"At least I'm going to do something about it. And if you cared about anything other than yourself, you'd be helping!"_

_"Sorry, kid. Some guys don't like to play the hero."_

_"I'll be back to take you to jail."_

And just like that, she was after him. What she said was true, some guys didn't like to play the hero, but that's not to say _she_ didn't.

She didn't wait even ten seconds after he was out of her sight to phase through the bars, electricity tickling her absent body. So what if she was a little too hurried? It could save lives! Of course she would wait until the situation was dire enough that there was no way they could work it out (because _reputation_ ), but she would rather die all the way than _let someone else_ die just to stay in character.

And it's not like she couldn't lie her way out of it. Dr. Cheng had Xenothium right now, and that was what Titans thought she was after.

And to be fair, she fully planned to steal it, she just didn't want to use it, she wasn't nearly as suicidal as _Robin_ apparently was. Because, _really_? It was _unstable_! What was he _thinking_?!

No, she merely wanted them to think she didn't have powers. It would be so much easier to escape if they ever managed to catch her.

When she got there she took time to take in the situation. Titans minus Robin were caught in blocks of ice, Dr. Chang (or at least she thought that was his name) was in the middle of a standart villain monologue.

_"I've spent years hiding from this cursed city. Now let them hide from me. Prepare to fire!"_

It was then that Robin made his dramatic entrance and kicked Chang so hard that said man flew a few meters away.

Dani eagrly watched the fight to take notes of Robin's fighting style. It would be useful later.

At the same time, she had to hold herself back from joining. She wanted to help so badly, but she couldn't afford to help Teen Titans every time it looked bad for them. It was emergencies only. She was a thief for god's sake! She shouldn't be helping them at all! Well, at least from their point of view.

Who's idea was this again? ...Nevermind.

The fight was going well for Robin up untill he was haging on a broken railing. She checked again. All Titans were still traped in ice. No backup. Dr. Chang was pointing his... thingy... at Robin as well as Starfire.

... _God_. Did life hate her? I mean, probably, she was half dead and she doubted life liked someone only half under it's jurisdiction. Ugh. It didn't matter. It was time to make a dramatic entrance herself.

She threw an electric X at Chang, cought Robin who just as he was falling and just like that, she was in the fight.

_"I thought you didn't like to play the hero."_

_"Doesn't mean I don't know how."_

Chang somehow manged to accidentaly free the Titans with his ray, which meant she didn't have to use intangibility. Small mercies.

Well. Not so much when she realized that Robin stole her utility belt. That really surprised her. But. Again, intangibility and invisibility. She would have it back in no time.

Now, it was time to plan the _real_ heists.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I'm still not sure if I'll continue with this story. I would like to but I know myself too well. It's just a possibility.
> 
> I also decided that I won't try to create a timeline in this series. It's up to you if you try to find some but it will be just stories of Dani meeting superheroes.
> 
> Feel free to use my idea if you'll mention it's inspired by my work. I don't feel I can write it in it's full potencial anyway and English is not my first language, so I apologise for any mistakes.


End file.
